What type stone is less likely to scratch blades?

[MTHall720]

Here is my problem. Even with my Sharpmaker set up I have trouble trying not to accidentally put fine scratches on my blades. This really grieves me since I am kind of a perfectionist and love nicely polished shiny blades. I am going to sell my Sharpmaker which has seen little actual use and even less use now that I bought a set of ultra aggressive diamond rods for it. My thought was a DMT 8 inch Benchstone in Fine/extra fine and another one in Coarse/Medium. I used to have Arkansas stones but I want something faster and without the need for oil or much water. I also want something which may a little less likely to result in less accidental small scratches if there is such a thing. The steels I will sharpen include S30V, 154CM, AUS8, 1095, and a growing collection of highly polished Case traditional folders.

Any suggestions?
Thanks much.

 

[bpeezer]

Scratching your blade usually happens when you fail to maintain a consistent angle. To take care of that, either practice a lot or get something that controls the angle for you.

 

[blame it on god]

Anything that will sharpen a knife is capable of scratching it. Get some blue painters tape to avoid accidental scratches.

 

[MTHall720]

Thanks. Hadn't thought of either of those solutions but that would work.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If it won't scratch the steel, it won't sharpen it either (or it'll be extremely slow).

As mentioned, scratches above the shoulders of the bevels are a result of off-angle contact, or just momentary loss of focus/control (I've done it many times).

You can somewhat minimize the scratches left by errant contact, by choosing an abrasive or grit that more closely fits the steel you're sharpening. In other words, aggressive enough to actually sharpen, without doing too much damage from inadvertant light contact. Diamond will put visible scratches on any steel with light contact, so you might avoid that. Arkansas stones would do well with simple carbon steels (1095, CV), aluminum oxide would better fit most typical stainless steels (420/440-series, AUS-6/8, VG-10, Sandvik steels, etc.), and silicon carbide for more wear-resistant steels (D2, S30V, etc.). Any more wear-resistant, and you'll likely need/want diamond anyway; just be more careful with it.

For very fine refinining and polishing of bevels that are already pretty good, a hard Arkansas stone can work (albeit slowly), and minimizes heavy/visible scratching on more modern steels. I've sometimes used a small black hard Arkansas pocket stone for such work. Also works well for bending/flipping a burr on an edge, if that's the only objective. Doesn't do a lot of grinding or abrading otherwise, on more modern steels with much carbide content.


David

 

[MTHall720]

Thanks David. I really appreciate the help with this. I am about ready to take the plunge from a Sharpmaker to bench stones.